At least 22 percent of the population in the Caribbean and Latin America have died from COVID-19 due to having an underlying illness, this is according to one Incident Manager, Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri at the Pan American Health Organization, (PAHO). The health official also explains the reason why vaccine hesitancy may be on the rise.

Speaking at the weekly Pan American Health Organization‘s media briefing on Wednesday, October 27, Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri noted that a total of 22 percent of persons in the Latin American and Caribbean region have a high rate of comorbidities.

He outlines the types of diseases that play a major role in the death of persons infected with COVID-19. He noted that regarding Caribbean countries, those apart of CARICOM, it has been observed that the highest prevalence of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Dr. Aldighieri further explains the reason why hesitancy may be on an upward trend in the region based on studies done by PAHO.

As of October 26, 2021, over 1.5 million people have died due to COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean. The country with the highest number was Brazil, reporting nearly 606 thousand deaths.

More in this CVM Live story from Javine Mclean: